


Understanding Dean

by Cat_stiel



Series: Feral Dean [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta Sam Winchester, F/M, M/M, Omega Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-22 11:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22681759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_stiel/pseuds/Cat_stiel
Summary: Sam gets a call that his brother Dean, who he hadn't seen in four years, is in a coma. Now he has to help his brother come back and finds out that what he thought he knew about his brother might have all been wrong.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Series: Feral Dean [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708360
Comments: 49
Kudos: 491





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first Fan Fic. Also my very first story I have ever shared this publicly. I hope you like it.

Sam was just gathering up his papers and books after his last class for the day when his cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the number so he answered it a little tentatively. "Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Sam Winchester?" A low, gravely voice asked.

"Speaking,who is this?" Sam responded.

"My name is officer Novak, of the Lawrence Kansas police department. This is the Sam Winchester who is listed as the emergency contact for one Dean Winchester?" The voice asked again.

Sam felt his heart start beating faster. He hadn't seen or talked to his brother in about four years. He didn't even think Dean had his number. And he couldn't think why Dean would have listed him as his emergency contact over their father.

"Is something wrong with Dean?" Sam asked.

"He is currently in a medically induced coma." Novak replied "Here in Lawrence, Kansas."

"I can be on a flight tomorrow." Sam told him as he mentally started listing what he would need to grab. Luckily he was done with his classes for the week. Shit, he thought, he had forgotten his plans with Jess.

He was brought back to the present by Officer Novak telling him to ask for a Doctor Gabriel Novak when he reached the hospital. Sam idly wondered if there was any relation between the two.

Sam thanked Novak and hung up. Hurrying home he kept adding things to go mental packing list. As soon as he got home he went straight to his computer to book a flight. As he was just about to book it (leaving around 12:30am and getting in sometime after 9am local), Jess came home.

"You won't believe the day I had, " she started. Her voice drifted off as she got a look at Sam's face. "Sam, what's wrong?" 

Sam quickly told her about the phone call from Officer Novak and his plan to fly out as soon as he could.

"Make those tickets for two." She told him as she turned towards their bedroom to start packing.

"Jess, you don't have to come," Sam said, following her into the room.

"Yes I do," she replied, turning to give him a hug. "For three reasons. One, you need the support, two I want to meet the family that abandoned you and tell them off and three you will need me to translate any medical info they give you."

Sam couldn't argue with that last point. As a nursing student Jess knew way more than he did about these things. He went back to his computer to book the tickets.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Jess had suggested that they try to nap before their fight so they would be less dead on their feet when they got to Lawrence. Soon after they were grabbing a cab to the airport. The flight itself was just over 3 hours long and they both managed to get a bit more sleep before they landed.

They rented a car and headed straight to the hospital. As they got closer all the nervousness and panic Sam had been pushing to the back of his mind seemed to rush forward again. He could feel himself starting to sweat.

They parked and walked into the hospital. Seeing a reception Sam headed over there.

"Hello, what can I help you with?" Asked a smiling woman.

Sam gave her a weak smile and said "hi my name's Sam Winchester. I am supposed to talk to a Doctor Gabriel Novak about my brother Dean."

The faded slightly from the woman's face but her voice was still cheerful when she said. "If you take a seat over there" indicating a waiting area "I will have Doctor Novak come meet you shortly." 

Sam wanted to ask her for information on Dean but Jess dragged him to the waiting area. "You'll be able to ask the doctor directly soon."

The wait was about ten minutes. During that time Sam's body could seem to decide if he wanted to be sitting, his knee jogging a rapid tempo, or standing and pacing, his long legs eating the space quickly before turning to go back where he started. He alternated between the two, too restless to sit quietly next to Jess.

He was startled out of the latest round of pacing by a voice saying "you must be Sam Winchester."

Sam turned to see a man coming towards them, a white lab coat indicating that he was a Doctor. Sam held out his hand to shake in greeting while introducing himself. "Yes I'm Sam Winchester, and this is my girlfriend Jessica Moore." The doctor and Jess also shook hands.   
"Where's Dean? What's wrong with him? Why is he in a coma?" Sam had even more questions like where was their dad and why wasn't he with Dean but those were beyond what doctor Novak could tell him.

The doctor smiled reassuringly. "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private? Castiel should be here soon." He turned and led them to a small conference room.

"Castiel?" Jess asked

"Yes. He probably introduced himself as officer Novak." Came the reply.

Jess nodded at this and they continued to follow.

They had just been seated, and Sam had just pulled out a notepad and pen to take notes when the door opened. Sam looked up to see a dark haired man in a suit and trench coat. Sam figured that he was a few inches shorter than himself (Sam being 6'5") putting the man just over 6' but he had an air of authority that made him seem even larger.

"Cassie, so glad you could join us," Doctor Novak said enthusiastically, bounding over to drag the man in further by his arm.

Sam and Jess looked at each other "Cassie?" She mouthed in disbelief. Sam had to agree with her. The man seemed too serious and masculine to have such an effeminate nickname.

Doctor Novak made the introductions before he Iand Castiel also sat down at the table.

"Now that everyone is here, can someone please tell me what is wrong with my brother?!" Sam was done being patient. He had been on edge for over half a day with no information and now he was finally going to get some answers.

Castiel and Doctor Novak (Gabe he had asked them to call him) exchanged a significant look. The easy smile that had been on Gabes face faded away. He sat up straight and looked at Sam.  
"I'm sorry to tell you this but we had to put your brother in a medically induced coma because he was going feral." Gabe informed him.

Jess gasped in horror but Sam just looked at him confused. "Feral?" He asked.

The two Novaks exchanged another look. Sam was starting to think they must be related.

"You do know that your brother is an omega?" Gabe asked a bit incredulously.

Sam nodded but to be honest he never really thought about it. Both Sam and their dad were betas as was over 90% of the population. Sam had only met a couple alphas and omega and had never had much to do with them.

Jess nudged his shoulder. "You never told me Dean was an omega!"

Sam shrugged. "I never really thought about it. He was just Dean." Turning back to Gabe he asked "what does being an omega have to do with him being in a coma? And what does feral mean?"

The look Gabe was giving him was now pitying. Castiel's face had not changed expressions the whole time. Sam looked at Jess. Her face mostly held disbelief. "Didn't you learn anything in gender studies in high school? This is basic stuff."

That made Sam a bit defensive. "We moved around a lot. We hadn't done it yet in one school and by the time I got to the next school they had already covered it. I never really worried because I figured I could always look it all up if I needed to. But then I presented as Beta and never really thought about it." He looked around at all of them again and asked for the third time, "what does feral mean?"

"Going feral is something that almost exclusively happens to alphas and omegas. It is usually a sign of abuse or abandonment." Gabe started to explain. "Omegas and alphas are more led by their instincts than betas and by indulging those instincts healthily they can lead lives almost indistinguishable from those of betas. But when they can't indulge those instincts, they can regress to a point where they are no more than animals, solely guided by instincts. This is called 'going feral.'"

At some point during the explanation Jess had grabbed Sam's hand. He was now hanging on to it like a lifeline. "what instincts?" He asked

"It differs a bit between alphas and omega but for both they have a strong sense of family and a need to be near them. Omegas also have strong nurturing instincts. They need to make sure their family is safe, comfortable, fed, and happy. They often make nests for their beds and will try to have their family sleep in it with them." Gabe told Sam.

Half forgotten memories of Dean surfaced as Gabe spoke. Dean giving Sam the last bite of food, Dean pulling Sam into a bed covered in blankets and pillows.

"Alphas have a need to protect and provide for their families," the deep voice of Castiel added. 

"So what happens when they go feral? And why is Dean in a coma?" Sam was starting to get frustrated. He didn't really understand. Some part of him knew that if he could just see Dean it would all be fine. Dean always made things fine. A small voice in the back of his head told him that was because Dean was an omega.

"The first sign is normally non verbalization, they lose the ability to speak. From there they continue to regress until they are animalistic. They will fight anyone they see as a threat, which is basically everyone. They will find their way into forested areas to build their nest and scavenge for food." Gabe kept explaining patiently. "We put Dean in a coma because he appears to be in the early stages of going feral. There might still be a chance to get him out of it."

Jess gasped, "you think you can get him back? There are only a couple recorded cases of alphas or omega coming back and in each of those cases there was a child involved. They came back for their kid."

Gabe smiled at her. "We are hoping that any family bond can bring Dean around. And frankly we have nothing to lose" he shrugged.

Sam stood quickly shaking with rage. Ignoring the low growl rising from Castiel he shouted at Gabe, "what do you mean nothing to lose? What about Dean?"

Gabe also stood, laying a calming hand on Castiel who was still growling but had made no move. "What I mean is that our options are to try this and have Dean potentially go feral or do nothing and keep him in a medically induced coma. This attempt is literally the only chance we have of getting Dean back."

Jess tugged on Sam's arm until he sat down. "Doctor Novak is right. This may be Dean's only chance."

Taking a calming breath Sam asked "so how are we going to do this?"

"In a word: cuddling," Gabe told him with a grin.

Sam just looked at him confused. 

"As I said before Dean's omega instincts were not being properly indulged. We are hoping that by having Sam cuddle him as he wakes up we are able to reset his instincts back to where they should be, in the background, not the foreground. Hopefully within a few days we will have him back to verbalization and on to full recovery." Gabe explained.

"How long do you think this will take? I am going to have to email my professors to explain my absence." Sam said.

Gabe nodded. "We should have an idea if the plan is working within 72 hours. After that a more accurate time frame can be created." He paused then added, "I would suggest letting your professors know that the reason for your absence is your omega brother going feral. You might get more leeway and understanding."

Sam made a mental note to send the emails as soon as possible that evening.

"When do you want to get this started?" Sam asked.

"The sooner the better," Gabe told him. The doctor checked his watch. "It is currently almost 11. The drugs to bring him around should take a couple of hours but to be on the safe side it would be best if you were in there with him before he wakes up. Why don't I show you where his room is then you and," he paused, "Jess is it?" She nodded and he continued. "Jess go and get lunch and we will meet back outside his room around 1. Does that sound good?"

Sam looked over at Jess who nodded slightly and gave his hand a light squeeze. They all stood. Sam had been so focused on Gabe and the information he was relaying that he completely forgot that Castiel was in the room. When they stood though Castiel asked "do you have recent contact information for your father? The number Dean had listed with his emergency contacts was disconnected."

"I haven't spoken to my dad in four years. Any number I had would be too old." He paused thinking about it. "Bobby might have a recent number for him though."

"Bobby?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, he's an old friend of the family. My dad used to leave us with him for weeks at a time. Dean and I always thought of him as family. Even if Bobby doesn't have Dad’s number he can put the word out and probably find him."

Castiel nodded at that. "May I have Bobby 's number? I can contact him while you are with Dean."

Sam gave a small chuckle. "Bobby is a bit of a paranoid bastard. It would be best if the news came from me. I'll call him when we go for lunch."

The dark head nodded again, then he turned to Gabe. They spoke quietly for a minute, then Castiel opened his arms. Gabe stepped in for a hug.

Sam found it weirdly intimate yet still platonic. Gabe rubbed his face on Castiel's shirt while Castiel rubbed his cheek on the top of Gabe's head. The hug lasted a minute or two. Then Castiel stepped back, turned to Sam and Jess, and shook their hands. After reminding Sam that he had Castiel's number if he needed him, Castiel left.

Gabe turned back to Sam and Jess. Acting like nothing had happened, Gabe started to lead them out of the room to Dean's room.

As they followed Jess asked tentatively "was that a scenting?"

Gabe smiled at her. "Yes. I am an omega and Castiel is an alpha. We often scent as part of our greetings and goodbyes. It helps both of us from going feral."

"Are you mates?" Jess asked. Sam had a feeling these were very personal questions Jess was asking but Gabe was handling it with good humour.

Gabe laughed in response to Jess's question. "Oh hell no," he laughed, tears in his eyes. "Cassie's my brother. My little brother to be exact. Neither of us have mates so the scenting you saw is part of what we do to indulge our instincts to prevent a feral state."

"So when you were telling us about feral states and the instincts that need to be fed to prevent going feral, you were talking from experience?" Sam asked.

"Really a combination of personal experience and research. My brother and I have both gone to near feral states since we presented but have always managed to pull each out." Gabe now looked at Sam, his face serious. "That's why I think this might work. Granted your brother is farther along than Cassie or I have ever been, but I have faith."

Gabe continued to lead them up an elevator then down another hallway to a large set of double doors. When they walked through the ward they were in was noticeably quieter than the rest of the hospital. Sam and Jess followed Gabe to the nurses station where a pretty brunette nurse was sitting. "This is nurse Meg Masters," Gabe introduced them. "When you come back after lunch just ask for Meg and she will get you set up to see Dean." 

"I don't get to see him now?" Sam asked a little outraged.

"No," Gabe responded shortly. "When you are back from lunch we will have everything set up for you to see him."

Sam wanted to argue but Jess grabbed his arm and started to lead him back down the hallway towards the elevators. "Come on," she said quietly, "let's get some lunch. Plus you can give Bobby a call."

They walked out of the hospital and towards their rental car. Sam handed Jess the keys so she could find them a place to beat while he pulled out his cell phone to give Bobby a call. Even though he hadn't talked to Bobby in over four years he still remembered the number. As he dialed it brought back memories of being drilled by both his dad and Dean to remember the number "just in case." He smiled as the phone on the other end rang.

"Who is this and what do you want?" A gruff voice asked.

"Hey Bobby, it's Sam." He smiled as he said that. Bobby had not changed a bit.

"Sam?"

Sam frowned a bit. "Sam Winchester," he clarified.

"I know which Sam it is, you idjit. I am just surprised to hear you calling. What can I do for you?" 

Sam could hear him shuffling paper, likely finding something to write on.

"It's Dean." The sound of paper shuffling stopped. "He's in the hospital in Lawrence, Kansas."   
Sam took a steadying breath. "He went feral Bobby." Jess reached a free hand to give his knee a comforting squeeze before returning it to the wheel.

There was a long pause before Bobby said, "balls! That idjit!" He took a deep breath. "Lawrence Kansas, you said. I can be there in 5 hours."

"Bobby, before you go," Sam said, stalling Bobby from hanging up. "I need to get ahold of dad. The number Dean had for him was disconnected. You got a recent number for him?"

"I've got a number I can try," Bobby told him. "Otherwise I've got a couple guys I put the word out to. Don't worry, we'll find him."

"Thanks Bobby," Sam said before hanging up.

Jess pulled into the parking lot of a diner. They got themselves some food and by unspoken agreement they didn't talk about anything they had learned that day. Instead Sam told Jess about the classes he was taking and papers he had to write. Jess responded with stories of her own classes and assignments. They passed the meal in pleasant conversation. When they had finished their food Jess checked her watch. "It's almost 1. We should head back to the hospital."  
They drove back to the hospital and made their way back to the ward Dean was in. When they reached the nurses station no one was there. Sam was just looking around to see if there was a call button or something when from behind them came a low and sarcastic sounding female voice.

"Back again?"

Sam turned to see nurse Meg Masters. "Hi. Yeah we're back. Is Doctor Novak around?" He asked her.

"He should be back soon. He just ran down to talk to that hot alpha brother of his."

Jess giggled at that comment. Meg gave her a smile and a wink. Sam just rolled his eyes.

"Getting into trouble, Meg?" Gabe asked as he entered the ward.

"Always," she told him with a grin. 

They smiled at each other for a moment before Gabe put on his serious face. "Is everything   
ready?" He asked Meg.

"Yep," she answered. "I think sleeping beauty is ready to wake up."

Sam snorted a laugh at the princess reference. When everyone looked at him he said "sorry. It's just that Bobby used to call Dean 'princess.'" He paused making a connection in his mind. "I wonder if he called him that because of his omega status."

Meg rolled his eyes at him. She then turned back to Gabe. "I checked on him 5 mins ago and he was still out but I would guess he will be awake within the next half hour. 

Gabe thanked her and turned to Sam and Jess. " So as I stated before the plan is for you to essentially cuddle him back from his feral state. For this to work we need you to be the only one he smells, at least initially. If he shows signs of improvement we can start adding other scents."

"How will you check on him if you don't want him to smell you?" Sam asked.

"Me and anyone else who goes in there will be sprayed with scent blockers before going in. For now we only want him smelling family."

Sam nodded but then looked confused as Meg came up and handed him a plastic sealed set of scrubs, a towel, and small containers shampoo and body wash. "What are these for?"

"The soaps are unscented. There is a shower over there," Meg indicated behind them. " When you are clean, put on the scrubs. Don't touch your clothes after your shower." Then she turned and marched off.

Sam continued to look after her confused before turning to Gabe for an explanation.

"We want the first time Dean smells you to be a clean pure sample of your scent. Right now you and your clothes carry the scents of other people, such as Jess and even myself. Later if this works, it won't be necessary to go through all these steps. For now though, if you would," and Gabe gestured to the door Meg had already pointed out. 

"Fine," Sam said grudgingly. Before he went to shower he gave Jess a quick hug. He kinda liked the fact they apparently smelled like each other and was a bit sad to scrub it off. She seemed to sense this because she whispered "I'm not going anywhere. It's ok."

Sam nodded and went to shower. He didn't want to waste a lot of time so minutes later he was clean and dressed in scrubs. The pants were a couple inches short. They had even included shapeless slipper things to put on his feet. He walked out to see Jess, Gabe and Meg huddled together talking animatedly. 

When Jess saw him, she started laughing.Meg gave a smile then turned and disappeared down the hallway. Gabe gave Sam a huge smile and said "sorry we grabbed the largest scrubs we could find. I guess they don't come in giant sizes though."

Still chuckling Jess went forward to give him a hug before she remembered about a foot away from Sam. She smiled apologetically. 

"Well if you come this way," Gabe gestured to a room down the hall. "Let's get you set up."

They walked through the doors into an isolation room. Beyond it Sam could see another room with a large hospital bed in it. There was a shower-like stall in the isolation room. Gabe stepped into the stall and was sprayed with a fine mist. He stepped out and told Sam "scent blockers." Sam nodded his understanding. 

Entering the room behind Gabe, Sam caught sight of Dean laying in the double wide hospital bed. He had not seen Dean in about four years but in his head he had always pictured Dean as full of life and energy, rarely still. The Dean he saw in front of him was pale, thin and way too still. He had a bruise on his face and on his knuckles. If it wasn't for the heart monitor beeping and the slight rise and fall of Dean's chest, Sam would have thought he was dead. He brushed a hand through his hair then rubbed his face. 

"I didn't know it was this bad," he said softly.

Gabe, standing beside him, said nothing.

"He was always so strong. Nothing seemed to faze him. We would be cold and out of food and he would just say 'Don't worry Sammy, I'll take care of you.' And he always did." Sam stared at his brother as he reminisced. "Did you know that he was the one who first suggested I go to university? He used to tell me I could be anything." Sam could feel his eyes starting to water. "He was always there for me and I haven't even talked to him on the phone in over three years."

Gabe gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder. "You can be here for him now." Gesturing to the bed Gabe said, with a hint of his regular grin, "Go on. It's snuggle time."

Sam pulled a face at him but climbed into the bed. He was expecting Dean to still be unconscious but when Sam shifted to bring the very soft blankets over himself Dean stirred. Sam went still and even Gabe seemed to hold his breath. Dean rolled over and put his face right into the pulse point by Sam's throat. Then he signed and settled back to sleep.

Gabe breathed out an audible sigh. "I think that might be a good first sign."

Sam shifted so his arms were wrapped around his brother. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now I suggest a nap. We are going to leave you two alone for an hour or so. If you have to get up for some reason or if Dean starts to wake up hit the call button. Meg or I will be right in." Gabe turned and left.

Sam tightened his arms around his brother briefly then drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam woke from a dream of being little and watching cartoons in a pile of blankets with Dean, to the feeling of someone rubbing their face on his chest. Without opening his eyes he reached to stroke their hair. The feeling of short hair and the heavy yet content sigh he heard reminded him where he was and who he was with. His hand stilled and he opened his eyes. Yep, he was still in the hospital. As his brain tried to wake up and figure out what to do, Dean rubbed his face on Sam's chest again, this time giving a slightly disgruntled huff. Sam started stroking Dean's hair again. Within a minute or two Dean had settled down and was purring. Sam could not remember the last time he had heard a purr. It was not something betas did, so the last time was likely Dean. He thought back but couldn't remember Dean purring except vague memories of when he was really little. 

Sam reached with his free hand to press the call button then tried to softly wake this brother.

"Dean, hey Dean. It's Sam. I need you to wake up now." He whispered quietly.

He heard the door open and saw Jess, Gabe and Meg all standing there. Gabe opened his mouth to say something but Sam put a figure to his own lips to indicate quiet.

"Come on Dean, I need you. You have to wake up now." Sam tried again.

It was hard for Sam to clearly see Dean's face as it was pressed to his chest but he thought he saw Dean frown slightly and his eyelashes flutter but not open. Instead Dean rubbed his face harder into Sam's chest before muttering "pup, my pup." Then he settled again and started taking the steady breaths of sleep.

Sam looked up at their audience. Jess was staring down like it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Even Meg looked amused by it. When his gaze hit Gabe, though it was a different story. Gabe was frowning, not a thoughtful grown but a frown of worst fears confirmed. Sam wasn't sure he wanted to know what Gabe was thinking. He looked away instead focusing on his brother.

"I think he is asleep again," he told everyone quietly. He was slightly embarrassed that they had all heard Dean’s old nickname for him but there was nothing he could do about that.

"Is there anything you need?" Jess asked him softly. 

Sam thought about it for a second before replying. "Just a cup of water. Thanks."

She nodded, leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. Meg stayed a couple minutes to record something on Dean's chart, then left herself. 

Sam felt his eyes start to drift shut. He felt perfectly warm, comfortable and safe. He realized he had not felt that way in a long time. He opened his eyes again when he heard a throat clear.

"This is going better than I expected," Gabe admitted to Sam quietly. "Hearing him speak is really good."

"What did you expect?" Sam asked, not sure if he wanted to know.

"Given that Dean is in a feral state, I expected him to wake up in full beast mode. Growling and teeth." As Gabe excitedly whispered, he lost some of the doctor formality he had spoken with earlier. "Of course Cassie says that my near feral state is mostly me just building nests and trying to cuddle everyone. He on the other hand is scary. Growling, showing teeth, standing between me and everything." Gabe smiled at Sam. "Cassie told me that your brother is the protective type."

"That sounds right. Dean has always taken care of me. When I was little no one dared to bully me. Everyone knew that picking on me meant Dean getting involved. No one wanted that." Sam smiled softly at his sleeping brother. 

Jess came in with Sam's water. After helping him take a sip (Dean was curled tightly around Sam) she set the cup on the side table. Before she left again she told him that she was going to get them a hotel nearby and that she would be back in a couple hours.

Gabe turned to leave but stopped. "Before I forget Cassie was wondering if you had talked to your dad? He is hoping to talk to him."

"No. I talked to Bobby, though. He was going to try a couple numbers." Sam replied. "He is going to come here. Maybe tonight or tomorrow morning."

Gabe looked at Sam thoughtfully. "You said that you and Dean considered Bobby as family? It might help Dean to have someone else to cuddle with. Plus it would give you a break." He gave Sam a smile. "What is Bobby's full name? I'll list him as family for the nurses."

"Robert Singer." Sam told him. " but don't call him Robert, he hates that." Even as he talked Sam was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He stifled a yawn but Gabe saw and started to make his way out of the room.

"Get some more rest. I will check on you in an hour." And he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!! I hope you all had a great one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Background, so much background. Oh and Bobby.

Sam woke up the same way as before, with Dean rubbing his face on Sam's chest. Sam scrubbed a hand over his face. He had been dreaming about the night he had left for college. 

When Sam consciously remembered that night he would always recall his dad saying "If you walk out that door, don't bother coming back." His dream though focused more on what had happened between him and Dean that night. After their dad had uttered those unforgettable words he had left, probably to go to a bar. Sam had stomped around the motel room, grabbing his stuff and stuffing it all in his duffle bag. Dean pulled things out of the bag to fold them nicely before putting them back. Later Sam would find out that Dean had snuck almost five hundred dollars in cash into Sam's stuff. When Sam was all packed up Dean had hugged him and said "you've got this Sam. Call me if you need anything. Stay safe puppy." Sam remembers pushing Dean away and saying something about not being a puppy anymore and how he didn't need Dean or anyone. Sam now cringed thinking back.

He was brought back to the present by Dean, who was making whining noises. His eyes were still closed and Sam wasn't sure if he was awake or not. Stroking a hand over Dean's head to soothe him, Sam groped around with his free hand for the call button. Before he found it the door opened and Gabe came back in.

He seemed to give the air a sniff before moving closer to the bed. Dean whined again, squirming in Sam's arms. "Try talking to him," Gabe whispered.

"Um, hey Dean. You going to wake up? Stop acting like a Disney princess?" As Sam spoke Dean settled down and stopped whining. Sam kept talking, telling Dean about his classes, Jess and anything that came to mind. Partway through his ramble Dean started to purr. Sam looked over to where Gabe was, sitting in the guest chair. Gabe smiled at the sound of the purr.

When Dean finally settled back to sleep, Sam turned towards Gabe. "What time is it?"

Gabe gave a quick glance down at his watch, "It's 5:13. How are you doing?"

Sam thought about it for a second. "I feel like I need to get up and stretch my legs," he said honestly.

Gabe chuckled at that. "If your brother is asleep again you can probably slip out. Stretch your legs, have some food. The cafeteria here isn't too bad. The desserts are worth trying."

Sam slipped out of the bed, careful not to wake up Dean. Gabe also stood and together they walked out of Dean's room, through the room with the scent blocker sprayer into the hallway beyond. 

Sam looked around. He didn't see Jess or anyone else around. "Where's Jess?" asked Sam.

"She went to find a hotel. I told her to take a couple hours before coming back. She looked dead on her feet." Gabe replied.

"Yeah, we didn't get much sleep since Castiel called," Sam paused. "I cant believe that was only yesterday. It seems like forever ago."

"Oh, speaking of Cassie, he wants to talk to you when you have time. He couldn't come in before so he asked me to tell you to contact him once you were out."

"Why couldn't he come in?" Sam asked, following Gabe down the hallway. 

"The scent blockers would keep Dean from smelling him but Cassie would still be able to smell him. Last time they met the smell of omega in distress almost sent Cassie into a feral state himself." Gabe grimaced at the memory. "Until your brother wakes up, Cassie can't go anywhere near him."

Gabe handed Sam his clothes from before and Sam went into the bathroom to get changed.   
After that they made their way into the cafeteria. Gabe led him past the entrees to the desserts. He picked up two pieces of apple pie (Sam thought it was too bad Dean was missing pie), and he and Sam found a table to sit at. Gabe took a moment to text someone. 

Sam and Gabe were just finishing their pie when Castiel came in. Gabe waved him over.

"Hello Sam, Gabe," Castiel said in his low somber voice. 

"Hey Cassie, I was just telling Sam that you wanted to talk to him." Gabe said cheerfully. "Come have a seat."

Castiel sat down next to Gabriel. For all that Gabe had said Castiel wanted to talk, he was just sitting there staring.

Gabe looked between the two and waited a moment before saying "Well in that case, I'll start. I have few questions about Dean I was hoping you can answer. I am trying to get some history for Dean. When was the last time you talked to him?"

Sam looked down. "almost 4 years ago. He had called a couple times while I was at college but after a few months I had to change my number and forgot to tell him. I haven't heard from him since. I didn't even know he knew it." He could feel the judgmental stare of Castiel.

"You haven't talked to him in four years? What about your dad? Do you know when Dean last saw him?" Gabe asked incredulously.

"I haven't talked to my dad in even longer than Dean. Last time we talked he had told me if I went to college to never come back. I just assumed that Dean would be with him. Dean always followed his orders like a good soldier," Sam said the last bit with a hint of resentment in his voice. "I never understood the hero worship he had for the man. Our dad isn't very good at being a dad. In fact Dean was the one who took care of me."

"Your dad isn't an alpha, is he? But he is the head of your family?" Castiel asked, a growl in his voice. Gabe lay a soothing hand on his shoulder.

Sam looked at him confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

This time Gabe answered. "Remember what I said about omega instincts? Dean's instincts would have made him want to keep his family safe and happy. But omegas are also instinctively submissive to alphas." Gabe smiled at the grimace Sam made. "It doesn't make us doormats. It's not like the movies make it out. We don't follow every order by every alpha but we are more likely to listen to an alpha related to us. For example, Castiel is the only alpha in my family. If he ordered me to 'get down' I would, no questions asked. I trust him and know him. He would never give me an order without a reason. His own instincts wouldn't allow it."

"But in your family you don't have an alpha so Dean would have looked to your dad as an equivalent. What you saw as blind obedience could just be an omega instinctively submitting to their alpha's orders."

Gabe frowned. "Do you know when your brother presented? How old was he?"

Sam thought about it but he honestly could not remember. "I'm not sure. Why?" He asked.

The frown was still on Gabe's face as he said "most omegas present when they are fifteen or sixteen. They tend to be less submissive." He shrugged. "Teenage rebellion and such. But the earlier an omega presents the more submissive they tend to be. From what you have said about your brother, it sounds like he was an early presenter."

Sam had never thought about that before. Suddenly it felt like everything he knew had been turned on its head.

Gabe started asking about Dean's medical history. Sam tried to answer but they had moved around a lot and their dad had used fake names whenever they went to the hospital. As they talked Castiel sat there quietly writing down the names and dates Sam thought he knew.

When Gabe got a phone call, Sam took the opportunity to check his phone for messages. He had one from Bobby saying he was almost there, just stopping to get gas. There was also one from Jess saying she was headed back. Sam sent her a text telling her that they were in the cafeteria. He heard Gabe say something about 'send him to the cafeteria' before Gabe hung up.

"Who was that?" Castiel asked. Sam started. He had forgotten that Castiel was there. The alpha was remarkably quiet. He had always thought alphas would be loud and blustery, kind of like his dad. But Castiel had a quiet strength about him. He was easy to overlook but when you did notice him, there was something about him that said he was not someone to mess with.  
Gabe was about to answer when the cafeteria doors opened and in walked Jess next to a grumpy looking old man. 

"Bobby!" Sam shouted, standing and striding over to Bobby to give him a hug.

Bobby gave him a brief hug before growling "alright that's enough, you giant idjit. Let me go before you break something."

Sam let him go and gave a quick look around. Jess was standing and staring at the two of them.   
Gabe and Castiel were standing by the table, quietly watching.

Sam turned towards everyone, a hand on Bobby's shoulder. "Bobby, this is my girlfriend Jessica Moore. Jess, Bobby. " they shook hands. Sam gestured towards the cafeteria table where Gabe and Castiel were standing. Gesturing first to Gabe Sam said, "Bobby this is Doctor Gabriel Novak. He is treating Dean. And this is officer Castiel Novak. He called me about Dean when he first got here."

Bobby shook both men's hands. "Novak? Mates?" He asked.

"Brothers." Castiel replied.

"So now that the introductions are done, someone’s going to tell me what the hell is going on with Dean?" Bobby demanded.

Sam led him and Jess over to the table with Gabe and Castiel. After everyone was seated Gabe filled Bobby in with everything they knew about Dean's condition, including that he had woken briefly and seemed to recognize Sam.

"Did you get a hold of dad?" Sam asked Bobby.

"I left a message on his voicemail telling him to call me. Told him it was about Dean. I also put the word out that I'm looking for him." Bobby let them know.

"May I have the phone number you left a message on?" Castiel asked. "In case we also need to contact him?"

Bobby looked at him a bit suspiciously. He must have seen something in Castiel's eyes because after a moment he gave a nod and gruffly gave the number to him. Castiel wrote it down with all the other notes he had been keeping.

"Bobby, is it?" Gabe asked him. Bobby nodded and Gabe continued, "we were just asking Sam some question about Dean's medical history. Would you be able to fill in some gaps?"  
Bobby grunted his assent. 

"Do you know how old Dean was when he presented?" At Bobby's confused look Gabe explained that they had no medical history for Dean so they were trying to build it from scratch.

Bobby took a deep breath and though Sam didn't know what he was going to say, could feel a sense of dread come over him. He could see everyone also reacting to the suddenly serious atmosphere.

"He was four." Bobby said quietly.

The effect of the statement was immediate. Jess gasped and put her hand over her mouth in horror. Gabe swore and Castiel's already stern face grew stormier. Looking at him Sam was glad that rage he saw in Castiel's eyes was not aimed towards him. Sam didn't quite understand the reactions but he was also starting to realize he didn't understand much about any of this. He was also thinking the safest thing would be to keep his mouth shut.

"He presented at four? How does that even happen?" Gabe asked outrage in his voice. "Where were his parents?"

"Our mom died when Dean was four and I was only six months old." Sam told him quietly.

A look of understanding seemed to dawn on Gabes face.

"Their dad started drinking and obsessing over who killed his wife." Bobby added.

"Your mother was murdered?" Castiel asked. His voice had gone even lower than normal and Sam was sure he was feeling it instead of hearing it.

Gabe laid a calming hand on Castiel's shoulder. In response Castiel tugged Gabe over to scent him. Sam could see the calming effect it had on both of them.

"Mom died in a fire but it was suspected to be arson. Dad has spent our whole lives travelling around looking for leads." Sam explained.

"Okay, but back to Dean," Gabe interrupted before Castiel could ask another question. "How did he present at four. That should be impossible. The youngest I have ever heard of was ten and that was under extreme circumstances."

"When I first met Dean and found out how old he was when he presented I did some research," Bobby told them. "I found a few old stories throughout history of omegas and even alphas presenting very early. From what I read omegas can present early in times of extreme distress and need. In Dean’s case I have a theory." He looked at Sam. "When your mom died and your dad became obsessed with finding her killer, I think that Dean realized he had to take care of you. He presented and from what I heard from John, even started producing milk to feed you."

"Wait," Gabe interrupted there. "He started lactating at four?"

Castiel started to growl low, a barely there rumble.

Jess was just sitting there listening with a horrified expression on her face.

"Yes. From what I can figure out Dean started taking care of Sam because no one else was. He fed Sam using his own milk from the age of four until he was almost eight." Bobby explained

"Why don't I remember any of that? I would have been almost four." Sam was feeling really confused.

"Probably blocked it out," Gabe said absently. He seemed to be deep in thought. "Could you send me that research sometime?" He asked Bobby.

Bobby agreed and Gabe pulled out a business card to give him. As he did his phone started to chime a text message alert. He glanced at it then did a double take to read it better.

"It looks like Dean is waking up again. Meg just texted to let me know." 

They all stood and started walking back to Dean's room. Sam listened as Jess and Gabe questioned Bobby about the omega research he had mentioned. Sam sometimes forgot how smart Bobby was and it was nice to see others appreciate it.

As they passed through the double doors to the ward Meg came hurrying towards them. From behind her, in the direction of Dean's room Sam could hear the sound of distressed whining. She came to a halt a couple feet away from the group and started talking to Gabe in rapid medical speech. 

Sam was distracted from listening to her by Castiel. The whole walk up he had been normal, or at least what Sam thought to be his normal, but when Meg approached he had stiffened up. Sam saw him inhale a breath, then another one quickly, more like a sniff. Castiel's eyes started to turn red and the low rumbly growl Sam had heard a few times now seemed to emanate from his chest.

"Um,Castiel? Are you alright?" Sam asked tentatively.

Though he had said this quietly, trying not to interrupt Gabe and Meg's conversation, everyone turned to look at them. Sam heard Bobby mutter "balls" and Jess say something that might have been a swear but he wasn't sure.

Gabe strode over to Castiel and yanked his head down until Castiel's face was buried in his neck by the scent gland. Sam saw the almost instant calming effect this action had on the alpha. The growling stopped but he was still standing stiffly.

Glaring over Castiel's shoulder Gabe yelled at Meg to "wash up and scent block." Once she was out of sight Gabe asked "Jess? Could you take Castiel back down to the cafeteria?" She nodded and Gabe whispered something in Castiel's ear. After the alpha nodded Gabe released him and Castiel followed Jess out of the ward.

"What the hell just happened?" Sam asked utterly baffled.

"Was that what I think it was?" Asked Bobby.

Gabe shrugged. "If what you thought was Castiel reacting to omega in distress, then yes. He probably would have been fine staying outside the room but when Meg came out she was carrying Dean's scent. It put Cassie in a protective state. It is similar to a feral state."

"I've read about that before," Bobby mused. "It is rare, though. Stuff of legend rare."

Gabe smiled at Bobby. Sam looked at them both but it seemed like they knew something he didn't. He mental shrugged it off and focused on what was important; Dean was still whining.

"Should we go check on Dean?" He asked a bit hesitantly.

That seemed to jolt them back. They rushed towards Dean's room. Sam and Bobby were told to go right in while Gabe got sprayed down with scent blockers.

As soon as Sam sat on the bed next to him Dean started to settle. The whining became an occasional whimper. Sam lay down and pulled Dean into his arms. 

After a few minutes Sam noticed Dean was sniffing and moving his head around like he was trying to catch a scent. It took Sam a moment to realize what he was doing but then he smiled. "Hey Bobby, come here."

Bobby stepped closer to the bed as Sam waved him over. Behind him Gabe moved into the room and started checking Dean's chart. Dean continued to sniff then he smiled slightly and started to purr. Gabe chuckled.

"I think he remembers you," Gabe told him brightly.

Bobby smiled. "That's my princess." He moved to the other side of the bed and sat down. Deans purring got even louder.

Sam laughed, "If he was more awake you know he would be swearing up and down that he's no princess."

"Maybe," Bobby replied. "But he is doing a good impression of sleeping beauty right now."   
Bobby looked over at Gabe slyly. "Maybe he just needs a kiss from a handsome alpha?"

Gabe laughed. "Maybe once he's awake and consenting."

Dean started to squirm and mutter. Sam leaned in to hear him. It sounded like he was saying "b'by" and "m' pup pup". Sam realized he was trying to say "Bobby" and, to his embarrassment, "my pup pup".

"Shh," Sam said trying to just Bobby and Gabe who were still joking with each other. " he's trying to talk."

Dean’s eyelashes fluttered a few times, not quite opening as he continued to mutter. 

"Come on Dee," Sam conjoled, using his childhood nickname, "open your eyes for me. I need to see you."

Dean stilled at the word need then with what seemed great effort he opened his eyes the nearest slit. Eyes slightly out of focus he squinted at Sam and muttered wonderingly, "S'mmy? M' pup pup S'mmy?"

While Gabe and Bobby gave quiet cheers Sam hugged his brother tight and answered, " Yes Dee, I'm here."

After a minute of staring at him Dean's eyes drifted shut again, like it took too much energy to keep them open. Once they were closed he gave a small frown and muttered "dream."

Sam gave a sigh of frustration. " This is not a dream Dean. I am right here."

It seemed that the more Sam tried to reassure Dean that he was not a dream, the more agitated Dean got. It got to the point Sam was nearly able to hold him on the bed as he tossed and turned and Bobby had moved across the room to give them space. Sam was feeling decidedly frustrated and a tiny bit angry that Dean wouldn't believe him when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Gabe inject something into Deans IV. Within minutes Dean was settled and asleep.

"What was that?" Sam asked, not sure he meant to injection or Dean behavior.

"Just a sedative," Gabe answered. "He should sleep through the night." He then ushered Sam and Bobby out of the room.

Jess was waiting in the hallway. "Castiel told me to tell you that he has headed home," she let Gabe know. She then turned to Sam and Bobby, "he also wanted to apologize to both of you and tell you he will want to talk to you tomorrow." She shrugged and admitted, " actually he said" here she tried to imitate Castiel's low voice. "I quote 'I wish to speak to them tomorrow at their earliest convenience' end quote." 

Gabe laughed, "that was pretty good."

Jess beamed at him.

Jess started to talk to Bobby about where they were staying and plans for the next day while Gabe took Sam aside.

"Before you leave tonight I just wanted to tell you that Dean is already progressive better than I expected. The only real setback was just now. He seems to be having trouble believing that you are here." Gabe paused then pressed on. "It is not going to be easy over the next few days but I need you to stay calm and supportive. He could smell your frustration and anger when he started calling it a dream." Sam opened his mouth to protest but Gabe held up a hand. "I could smell it too. It is understandable but your brother is vulnerable right now and you have to try to control your emotions." 

Gabe patted him on the shoulder. "Go get yourself some dinner and relax for the night. Follow will be another long day."

Sam said goodbye and turned to leave with Jess and Bobby. He made it a half dozen steps before Jess asked "When are we coming back tomorrow?" Jess must have seen something on his face because before he could say that he didn't know she was hurrying back to where Gabe was. A minute later she came back saying " he suggested 10. If he is not here when we arrive we are just to talk to Meg or the other nurse on shift and they will get us set up."

Sam smiled at Jess, "where would I be without you?"

She punched him lightly on the shoulder, "completely lost."

Sam leaned down to kiss her lightly.

When they got to the parking lot Sam turned to Bobby. "You got a place to stay?"

"I've got a friend in the area. She owns a roadhouse on the edge of the city. She's got a room I can stay in. I'm heading over there now to grab some dinner." Bobby told them.

"Do they have good burgers?" Sam asked. He was normally a salad type of guy but after being around Dean all day he was feeling nostalgic for roadhouse food, particularly his brothers favorites; burgers and pie.

Bobby smiled at him knowingly. "Yep and their pie's not too bad either."

Jess looked between them, a confused look on her face. She turned to Sam for explanation.

"Deans favorite foods," He told her. They smiled at each other before Sam turned back to Bobby. "Why don't we follow you to the roadhouse and we can grab something to eat?"

They got into their cars and headed to the roadhouse. The parking lot was surprisingly full. Sam got out and looked around. In the dim light spilling from the windows Sam could layout the vague shape of a familiar looking car, but before he could get a better look Jess called for him to hurry up. He turned away and followed her into the building.

Stepping through the door was like stepping into his past. Sam almost expected to see his dad and maybe Dean over by the bar. 

The roadhouse was dimly lit and had a worn out, dingy look but Sam noticed that the tables and the bar seemed surprisingly clean. The people there also had a worn and hard look. Behind the bar, pulling a beer was a middle aged blond woman. Bobby led them up to the bar near her and sat down.

"What can I get you?" She asked pleasantly, not looking up.

"Three beer to start and a look at your menu," Bobby said in his normal gruff tone.

The woman handed the beer off to a young woman that looked enough like her Sam figured they were mother and daughter, then turned to face them.

"Well look what the cat dragged in. Bobby Singer. What's got you out of your junk heap and into my neck of the woods?"

"Ellen," Bobby said a slight smile on his perpetually grumpy face. "It's good to see you."

She gave a huff as she pulled three beers for them, "don't try flattery you old fool. You're no good at it."

Jess giggled while Sam looked on dumbstruck. Was Bobby flirting, he wondered.

"But honestly," Ellen continued, "Why are you here, Bobby?"

Bobby took a swig of his beer before replying. "Do you remember John Winchester?" Ellen gave a sharp nod and a scowl before Bobby went on. " his boy, the older one Dean, went feral a couple nights back and is in the hospital. I watched him as a kid. He's family."

Ellen had gone still when Bobby had said 'feral.' The waitress came over looking a bit wary. In a strained voice Ellen asked, "he's an omega? Tall, blond, a bit of a flirt?"

Sam laughed at that somewhat accurate description o f his brother. His laugh quickly faded at the serious look on Ellen's face. " That sounds like Dean," he told her.

"He was here," she told them. "When he went feral. He was here."

The waitress came over to give Ellen a brief hug. Ellen quickly introduced her as her daughter, Jo. Sam and Jess gave brief hellos before refocusing on Ellen and her story.

"When he first came in I didn't think too much about it. He ordered a beer and burger." Sam gave her an encouraging smile as she kept going. "Really there was nothing strange about him that I noticed. He was a bit flirty but not aggressively. Then some alphas came in and started to harass Jo."

Jess interrupted, "how did you know they were alphas?" Sam knew as a beta he had a lot of trouble identifying alphas and omegas because he couldn't smell them. He was sure Jess's curiosity came from there.

Ellen smiled at her. "Jo and I are omegas," she told them. Bobby didn't seem surprised but Sam and Jess exchanged a look. Omegas and alphas were rare and in the last 24 hours they had met three omegas and an alpha (four omegas for Jess). 

Ellen continued, "I was in the back when the alphas came in and by the time I came out, the two alphas were on the floor and Dean, was It?" Bobby confirmed with a nod. "Dean was standing in front of Jo growling at anyone who tried to get near her. We managed to calm him down a bit but I had to call 911 for the hurt alphas and a feral omega."

A customer waved at Ellen and she hurried off to help him but Jo stayed and told Sam, "your brother was awesome. When the alphas started to harass me he was the only one to say anything. And after one of the alphas grabbed me I was yelling for him to let go and Dean came over to help me. Of course they didn't listen to him when he told them to stop because he was just another omega. But when the other alpha tried to grab him Dean punched him. It was awesome!" Jo was getting more animated as she talked. "The alpha who was holding me let me go to attack Dean but between the two of them I think the alphas managed to get one punch in. Dean lay them out. By the time my mom got there the two alphas were unconscious on the floor."

She paused and her face fell. "Then we realized Dean was in a feral state and had to call the police to sedate him."

Ellen had come back and put a hand on Jo's shoulder. "Because there were alphas and omegas involved they set an alpha officer in to calm things down."

Her story was interrupted again by customers and Sam, Bobby and Jess took the opportunity to tell Jo their order for dinner. She ran it back to their cook, a big burly man, with a drawling Louisiana accent. 

As they waited for their food and Ellen to come back, Sam and Bobby caught up with each other. They hadn't talked in years and Bobby was interested to hear all about what Sam had been learning. Jess also shared some funny stories about Sam that had them all laughing.   
Their food came and was, as Dean would put it, awesome. When Sam checked his watch he was surprised to see it was after 10. He was getting tired despite his naps during the day but wanted to stay for the rest of Ellen's story. He stifled a yawn and turned his attention back to whatever Jess was saying.

They were done their burgers and onto their second beers before Ellen came back. The burly cook had come forward to bartend giving Ellen a chance to get away. "Where was I?" She asked them.

"Alpha officer sent in," Jess informed her.

"Was that Officer Novak?" Sam asked before Ellen could start talking.

She looked a bit surprised at that. "Yes, how'd you know?"

"He was the one who called me about Dean. His brother, Dr Novak, is treating Dean at the hospital.

Ellen nodded approvingly. "They're good boys." When everyone just kinda stared at her, she added "they stop here once in a while to grab beers and check on Jo and me. Make sure we're not going feral," she clarified. 

"Anyways, when Castiel came in he seemed fine, but then he got a couple feet from us and I went stiff. He looked at Dean and his eyes started to glow red. Luckily he seemed to realize what was happening and pulled out two of those epipen like syringe things with a sedative. He tossed one to us to use on Dean and used the other on himself. By the time the paramedics got here we had three unconscious alphas and one unconscious omega. It was a mess."  
Jo, who'd come back, asked in an oddly subdued way "How is Dean doing?"

Sam smiled at her reassuringly and said, "he's actually doing pretty good. He woke up and said a few words. Gabriel, Dr Novak, seems optimistic."

The two women looked at him in shock. It was their reactions that reminded him that Gabriel said being feral was rarely reversible.

After that they both got called away again. Sam yawned and saw Jess doing the same. They quickly made plans to meet up with Bobby the next day and said their goodbyes to Ellen and Jo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one got long. Sorry. I hope you are still enjoying it.


	4. Chapter 4

After a good night's sleep and a morning run to clear his head, Sam was feeling more like himself. While he was running he had gone over everything that he had learned since Castiel had called him that first time. By the time he had made it back to his room he had come to a couple conclusions. The main ones were that their dad sucked and that Dean was going to get better through sheer stubbornness. He also had a greater appreciation for Jess. She had dropped everything to come be with him. She had even helped him write emails to all his professors explaining the situation.

He checked his phone for messages but there weren't any. He had hoped his dad would have called by now.

After his shower, Jess and him went to meet Bobby at the roadhouse. Looking around the parking lot in the light of day he saw his old home, the impala. For some reason it was a shock to see it here. His first thought was that his dad was there but then he remembered that he had seen the car the night before. He realized that Dean must have had the car. 

He waved for Jess to go ahead as he walked closer to the car. Sure enough there were the army man he had stuck in the ashtray. 

When he walked into the roadhouse he saw Ellen pouring Jess a cup of coffee. " Hey Ellen, how long has that impala been sitting there?" He asked.

"A few days," she called back. "Why?"

He glanced at Booby and said "I was just checking if maybe my dad was here. That's his car but he must have lent it to Dean."

Ellen gave a snort. "John knows I would shoot him if he stepped through that door." She walked back towards the kitchen.

Sam opened his mouth to say something but seeing Bobby give him a subtle shake of his head he let her go.

"Have you heard from my dad yet?" Sam asked Bobby.

Bobby shook his head. "I checked in with a couple of my contacts last night but no one has heard from for a while."

Jess looked over at Bobby. "What does Sam's dad do?"

Bobby gave her a look. "Sam didn't tell you?"

"No, he never told me anything about them. Especially not his dad." She glared at Sam but Bobby gave him a look of understanding.

Turning back to Jess Bobby said, "He's a bounty hunter of sorts." He changed the subject. "So what's the plan?"

Jess looked ready to argue but Sam gave her hand a squeeze and whispered, "I'll tell you later."

She squeezed back and muttered, "you'd better."

They decided to stop and get breakfast before heading into the hospital. Ellen recommended a diner not too far away and they thanked her and left.

As Sam and Jess walked back to their rental car Sam spotted the impala again. He made a mental note to ask Castiel about the keys, if Dean had them on him. Sam figured if he was going to stick around for a while it made sense to return the rental and drive the impala.

The breakfast was good and before long they were headed to the hospital. Gabriel wasn't there yet, Meg told them he was still doing rounds. She also let them know that Sam and Bobby didn't have to go through the shower and clean scrubs thing Sam had the day before. When asked why she cited the fact Sam and Bobby had gone in without it the day before with no adverse reactions as the reason. Jess still had to be sprayed with scent blocker though.

Sam went straight to Dean's bed and climbed in. He tucked Dean's head under his chin and got comfortable. Bobby also sat on the bed but Jess found a chair. 

They hadn't been there long before Gabriel showed up.

"How are you this morning?" He asked them as he checked Dean's chart.

Sam listened as Jess answered and told Gabe about meeting Ellen. Sam wasn't really listening to them. Instead he was listening to the steady and comforting sound of his brother’s breathing. It gave a slight hitch that suddenly Sam remembered from his childhood. It was the first sign of Dean waking up.

“Dean?” he called softly. 

Dean responded with a slight moan and snuggled closer to Sam.

Sam smiled and gave a quick look around. No one had noticed that Dean was waking up. Jess was still telling Gabriel everything that had learned since seeing him the day before and Bobby was adding commentary when needed.

He thought about saying something but instead decided to enjoy the quiet sound of his brother's breathing.

He must have drifted off slightly because the next thing he knew he was jolted awake as Dean apparently tried to lunge out of the bed. Disoriented all Sam could do was throw his arms around Dean and shout “Dean! It’s ok. I'm right here. You’re fine.”

Dean settled a little at that but it took a couple minutes of Sam telling him it was ok plus a shot of something in his IV before he calmed and lay back down. 

Sam looked around to see what had triggered Dean. Bobby was gone and so was Gabriel. The only people in the room were Jess and the nurse Meg. Jess was pale but when Sam made to leave the bed and go to her she shook her head. She was staring at Dean.

Sam looked down at his brother and noticed he was also staring at Jess, though he seemed to also be keeping Meg in his field of vision, reacting everytime she moved. He was also growling.  
Gabirel came rushing into the room, stooping just inside the door. Dean tried to lunge again but Sam held him firmly. Bobby also came through the door but Gabe put out a hand to stop him from rushing forward.

Moving slowly, keeping his front toward Dean, Gabriel edged towards the girls. Quietly, so Sam barely heard him over Dean’s growls, Gariel asked “What happened?”

Sam couldn't hear Jess’s response. He would get it from her later. Instead he focused back on Dean and kept whispering “you’re ok, I’m here.”

“Meg, Jess and I are going to leave.” Gabe told Sam and Bobby. “When Dean has calmed down push the call button and I’ll come back in. I think he would do better if you introduce us. If this goes well we will bring in Jess next.”

Sam nodded and saw Bobby do the same. Gabriel led Jess and Meg out of the room, still moving slowly and facing Dean.

The moment they were out of sight the tension went out of Dean. He stopped growling. Sam released a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. He could see relief and concern on Bobby’s face.

“Dean?” he said cautiously. 

Dean turned his head towards him, seeming to notice for the first time. He studied Sam’s face for a few long minutes before a smile bloomed on his face. “Sammy!” he shouted. It was loud in Sam’s ear and he flinched slightly. Dean saw and the smile dimmed a bit but the hug he gave Sam was tight.

Bobby chuckled, “You are going to make him deaf, shouting in his ear like that.” his tone was affectionate as he added, “You idjit.”

Dean swung his head around to see Bobby. “Bobby?” he asked, sounding confused. Then he looked around the room some more and seemed to realize where he was. He looked down at the bed he was on. To Sam’s great amusement Dean then checked under the covers to see what he was wearing. 

“Uh, Sammy?” Dean asked confused. “Why am I wearing a dress?”

Sam and Bobby both started laughing.

“It’s a hospital gown, you idjit,” Bobby told him.

Dean frowned and Sam could see he was working up to a pout.

“You went feral,” Sam told him quietly.

The words halted any pouting or arguing Dean could have started. He looked at Sam in shock. 

“Feral?”

“You don’t remember?” Sam asked him.

Dean thought for a moment but gave an unsure shake of his head.

“You should call the doctor in,” Bobby reminded Sam. “Maybe he can help explain things.”

Sam pressed the call button and within minutes Gabe came back in the room. His hair was wet like he had had a quick shower. Sam saw Dean’s nose woke like he was trying to catch a scent and realized that Gabe must have washed the scent blockers off. Dean tensed up a bit but relaxed as Bobby introduced Gabriel as his doctor.

“What’s up, Doc?” he asked a slight smile on his face. Sam rolled his eyes but Gabe laughed.

“Good to see you still have a sense of humour.” Gabe told him.

Dean smiled at him briefly then looked at them all seriously. “So really, what’s up?”

"Well, Mr Winchester," Gabriel started. Dean and Sam both flinched slightly at the name.

"Just call me Dean," Dean told him.

"ok Dean, what is the last thing you remember?" Gabe asked him. 

Dean thought about it for a minute or two. Then hesitantly he started talking. "I remember going to a roadhouse for a burger and beer. And pie" he added smiling at Sam. "Love me some pie."  
Bobby chuckled at that.

"I talked with a really cute waitress," Dean continued. "then some guys came in and started to harass the waitress. I think I said something but it gets hazy from there."

"That's fine. Tell me any impressions or feelings you can remember." Gabe coaxed.

Dean closed his eyes in concentration. "Scared omega. Rage. Hurt alpha. Blood. Blue eyes."

Suddenly Dean stopped and blushed bright red. He muttered something Sam didn't catch. Gabe, though, started to grin and asked Dean to repeat himself. This time Sam heard it as Dean muttered "mate."

Gabe and Bobby exchanged a significant look but didn't press Dean on that. Instead Gabe asked him to continue.

"Scared. Hospital. Pup. Bobby. Safe." He trailed off.

"And what about a few minutes ago? Do you remember how you felt then?" Gabe asked.

"Safe with pup, I mean, Sammy and Bobby then scared. Someone was too close. I had to protect." Dean opened his eyes again.

Sam thought he understood. He could get the details from Jess later but it sounded like either she or Meg got too close to Dean as he was waking up. 

"How are you feeling now?" Gabe asked Dean. He was writing notes in Dean's chart.

"Confused." Dean told him, "And really hungry."

Everyone laughed at that. "I will see about getting you some food." Gabe told him. "Before that I need to introduce you to a couple people."

Dean nodded and Gabe walked out of the room. A moment later he was back with Meg. Sam briefly wondered why Jess hadn't come too but realized they were trying not to overwhelm Dean. 

Gabe made the introductions and Dean turned on his usual charm. Meg didn't seem that impressed but Dean was unfazed. After a few minutes she left and moments later Jess walked in.

Sam could see she was nervous so Sam started to get up to go to her but she shook her head and motioned for him to stay.

Dean seemed to catch the interplay and asked curiously "And who are you? Another nurse?" A mischievous grin came to his face. "Are you in charge of my sponge bath?"

Sam gave Dean a shove, while Bobby groaned, shaking his head, and Gabriel laughed. Jess stared at him for a moment before answering "only if I get to use a wire brush."

Dean gave an over exaggerated shudder. "A tough one. I like it."

Before Jess could say anything else Sam interrupted to introduce them. "Dean, this is my girlfriend Jess. Jess, this is Dean."

Dean gave her another look over and smiled. "You working to be a lawyer too?" 

"No, I'm training to be a nurse." Jess told him.

Sam saw Deans grin get bigger and opened his mouth to stop him but before he could Dean asked "a naughty nurse?"

Bobby interrupted then "leave her alone, you idjit."

Dean started to argue with Bobby but Sam realized that he was still keeping Jess in sight. When she moved further into the room to find a chair Dean tensed slightly. If Sam hadn't been paying such close attention he might not have noticed.

They all talked for about an hour. Dean made sure to ask Jess lots of questions about nursing school. He kept innuendos to a minimum, which Sam appreciated. After about an hour Dean started having trouble keeping his eyes open. Sam decided that he was going to make his escape before Dean fell back asleep and slipped from the bed. Dean gave a pout but Sam reassured him that he would be back before he woke up again.

The room cleared out to let Dean rest. Sam waited until they were in the hallway before asking Gabe "So what happens now?"

"Well, ideally I would like to have him stay under observation for another few days, possibly up to a week. He woke up which is huge but I think he is still in a fragile state. Sam, if you were able to stay for the next week, I think that will really help." Gabe told them.

Sam nodded. "I have contacted my professors so I should be able to stay a bit longer."

Bobby added that he could stay a couple days but that was it.

"That's great. The other thing is that in a day or two we will have to sit down with Dean and talk about the future. Dean needs a lifestyle change. If he keeps going the way he was he will go feral again and this time we might not get him back." Gabe looked at them seriously. "Dean has been nomadic all his life, based on what you have told me. Omegas don't do well being nomadic. We like to settle in and nest. Dean has never gotten that. It will take some time and he might have to get involved with an omega support group."

"He's not going to like that," Bobby said. Sam nodded his agreement.

"He doesn't have to like it, he just has to do it." Gabe turned to Sam. "Sam, based on what I've seen and heard you will have the best chance of convincing him to do it. Could you try?"

Sam agreed and Gabe looked thoughtful.

"If we were able to track your dad down would he be able to convince Dean to go along with a support group and possibly therapy?"

Bobby gave a snort and Sam explained. "Our dad would do more harm than good if he came here. He would probably tell Dean to 'man up' or some other bullshit like that."

"If you want what is best for that boy, you keep John Winchester away from him," Bobby added.

They chatted a few mins after that before Sam, Jess and Bobby went back to Deans room to wait. Gabe reminded Sam to contact Castiel before he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean woke up!!


	5. Chapter 5

Sam and Bobby met with Castiel in the cafeteria for lunch. Jess had gone back to their hotel an hour earlier so she could work on a paper she had due the next week. Dean was sleeping after eating a very bland lunch and complaining loudly about it.

Castiel stood when he saw them. After a brief greeting he informed them that Gabriel would be also meeting them once he had checked in on some patients.

Castiel also gave them an update on his search for John Winchester. He hadn’t found him but did have a couple leads. Sam asked what they were but Castiel seemed reluctant to tell him. 

This conversation reminded him about the impala and he asked Castiel about the keys. Castiel promised to look into releasing them to Sam.

When Gabe showed up they paused their talking to grab some food and made their way to an empty table. When they sat down Castiel grew more serious and turned to Sam.

“I would like to have your permission to speak to Dean. I have a few questions about the night he went feral.” Castiel paused and looked down. “I would also like your permission to meet him without wearing blockers.”

Bobby laughed and Gabe hid his grin with his hand but Sam was confused. “Why do you need my permission?”

Castiel opened his mouth to say something but Bobby quickly interrupted “Sam just say yes and I’ll explain it later.” He turned to Castiel and Gabe. “the meeting can happen tomorrow at the earliest. I am willing to take a token to Dean before that.”

Castiel nodded solemnly then looked back at Sam. there was an awkward pause before Gabe reminded him, “are you going to give him permission or not?”

Sam looked around the table in confusion before saying “I give you permission to meet Dean?”

Castiel visibly relaxed and smiled. Gabe laughed and punched him in the shoulder “nice.”

They talked a bit longer but Castiel had to get back to work. Before he left he pulled what looked like an old fashioned handkerchief from a pocket and carefully handed it to Bobby. Bobby also handled it like it was something precious. 

Gabe also left but said he would be up to check on Dean in half an hour or so. With a significant look at the handkerchief he told Bobby to call him if there were any problems. Bobby chuckled and said he could handle it.

As they walked back to Deans room Sam asked “what was that all about? Why was Castiel asking for permission to talk to Dean? And what is a ‘token’?”

Bobby smiled. “It seems Castiel has a bit of a crush on your brother. As the closest thing to a family alpha right now he was asking for your permission to meet Dean and possibly court him.”

Sam raised his eyebrows. “And the handkerchief?”

“It is covered in Castiel’s scent. It is an old fashion way for an omega or alpha to express an interest in someone. Alphas and omegas rely far more on scents than us betas.” Bobby explained.

Sam was again wishing he had paid more attention in gender studies. The last few days had been full of moments he had felt lost because he didn’t understand about omegas and alphas.   
He decided that he was going to fit a gender studies class into his next semester if he could.  
Dean was still asleep when they walked into his room. Sam took his usual place on the bed next to him while Bobby sat in a chair he had pulled close to the bed.

He had barely settled in when he heard a strange snuffing noise near his ear. He opened his eyes to see that Dean was sniffing intensely at the air. His eyes were still closed and Sam wasn’t sure he was even awake. A quick glance at Bobby revealed that he hadn’t noticed this strange behavior, he was busy reading a book. 

“Uh Dean, what are you looking for?” Sam whispered, cautiously. He didn’t want to startle Dean awake when he was still coming out of being feral.

“Smell something good.” Dean whispered back, still not opening his eyes.

Sam gave the air a sniff but didn’t smell anything different. “What smells good?” he asked

“Smells good.” Dean insisted.

Sam looked over at Bobby. Bobby just rolled his eyes at him and pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket. “He means this, you idjit.”

Dean opened his eyes and focused on the handkerchief. Without a word he put out his hand for it. Bobby gently placed it in Dean’s hand. Dean raised it to his nose and inhaled deeply. Sam felt like he was intruding on something private. Dean started to rub his face on the handkerchief.

Bobby gave a soft chuckle which drew the attention of both Sam and Dean. Dean tried to look nonchalant as he lowered the handkerchief from his face but Sam noticed that he didn’t let go of it.

“Hey Bobby, what’s up?” Dean said still trying for nonchalance.

“Don't try to act casual with me. I’ve known you since you were knee high.” Bobby said gruffly.   
“Now do you want to know anything about that alpha or not.”

Sam saw a pout come over Dean’s face but he nodded. 

“His name is Castiel Novak. He is a cop here in Lawrence. You two have actually met before.” Bobby told Dean.

Dean looked at him. “I don’t remember that.”

“No. I guess not. It was after you went feral. He was the cop sent in to deal with everything.” Bobby said this contemplatively.

Sam saw a look of shame and self loathing come over Dean’s face and wished Bobby hadn’t said anything. He was trying to think of something to say when Gabriel walked back in the room.   
Sam saw his nose work then he noticed the handkerchief still clutched in Dean’s hand.

“Nice. Is that Cassie’s token?” Gabe asked excitedly while pointing.

Dean scowled at him and held it closer. 

Gabe laughed. “Don’t worry big guy. There is no competition from me. Cassie is my little bro.”

Dean did not look completely reassured by this news. Gabe must have also seen that because he was quick to add "Look Sam gave Castiel permission to come by tomorrow so hold off judgment till then.”

"He's coming by tomorrow?" Dean asked. 

Sam wasn't sure what to make of Dean's expression. It seemed to be a combination of hope, anxiety, and hopelessness. Sam realized that he was nervous to meet Castiel and if Sam knew his brother at all he was probably convincing himself that he wasn't good enough for this guy he hadn't even met yet.

"Don't worry we will make sure you get a chance to shower and primp before you see him, princess," Sam joked, hoping to draw Dean's attention away from his nerves.

"Who you calling princess," Dean argued back. "At least people don't see my hair and think I'm a girl." 

"No you're the scruffy, homeless looking guy." Sam shot back.

"Who you calling scruffy looking?" Dean grinned.

It took Sam a moment then he laughed. "Did you just quote star wars?"

"Of course. I am totally a Hans and you are a Chewbacca." Dean said matter of fact.

"You are a Leia at best." Sam scoffed.

Dean thought about it then said "Smart, leader of the rebels, looks good with a gun… there are worse people I could be."

"Don't forget, she's a princess, Princess," Bobby added.

Dean made a brief face then looked away imperiously.

Everyone laughed.

"So Doc, when can I get outta this bed?" Dean asked eagerly. 

Sam knew that Dean was probably going stir crazy. He had never been one to sit for long periods of time unless they were driving somewhere.

Gabe smiled knowingly and said "we can get you up and walking about now, if you want but I have to ask that you stay in this room. Given that you just came out of a feral state this morning I don't want you to be overstimulated and potentially revert back to feral."

Dean agreed and they got him up and out of bed. At first Sam had to help support him but after a couple of times around the room Dean was fine on his own. Gabe showed him the small bathroom with shower that was attached to the room and Dean disappeared in there for a bit. 

When Dean came out he looked down at his hospital gown and asked "So what does it take to get real clothes around here."

Gabe was about to answer when Dean interrupted him, turning to Sam and asking frantically "Baby! Where's Baby?"

Gabe looked alarmed but Sam explained "Baby is his car." Before Dean could tell him that baby was not just a car, Sam kept going, "Baby is at the roadhouse. I meant to ask Castiel if he had the keys."

"Ellen is watching out for her," Bobby added.

"Who's Ellen?" Asked Dean.

"She's a friend of Bobby's," Sam told him. "She owns the roadhouse. Her daughter was the 'cute waitress.’ "

"Bobby has friends?" Dean asked with a grin.

Bobby went to smack Dean on the head but Dean ducked out of the way.

Sam rolled his eyes and said " Anyways, I will talk to Castiel about getting the keys. I can stop by in the morning with some real clothes for you."

Dean agreed and Sam texted Castiel about the keys right away so he wouldn't forget. Castiel texted back that he would give them to Sam when he stopped by the hospital to pick up Gabe after his shift. Sam was amused to see that Castiel used the smiley face emoji. When he mentioned it to Gabe he was told that Castiel liked emojis. It was strange to think of the quiet man texting smiley faces.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter. Dean and Cas will meet in the next one. I promise

Sam and Bobby spent a couple more hours with Dean. Jess stopped by for a bit before leaving to do some sight seeing. Sam had encouraged her to go. He didn’t want her to feel like she had to sit around with Dean, who was still trying to slip in naughty nurse jokes whenever he could.

It was getting late and Sam had received a text from Castiel that he was at the hospital so Sam and Bobby told Dean they would see him the next morning and headed out. Sam waved at Meg as he walked past the nurses station. 

They found Castiel and Gabe near the exit. Gabe was laughing at something Castiel had said.

When Sam reached them Castiel handed him the keys to the impala. “I was able to get the keys released. I hope this will make it easier for you.”

Sam smiled as he took the keys. “Thanks man, this will be great. I’ll be able to stop using the rental car. Plus Dean was asking for some of his own stuff. Which reminds me,” he paused looking at them. “Do either of you know where a laundromat is around here. I promised Dean clothes for tomorrow but if I know him at all, they will probably need washing.”

Gabe laughed and gave Sam directions to a nearby 24 hour laundromat. Castiel as usual was quiet but unusually he was nervously shifting back and forth.

Sam looked at him curiously. Following his gaze Gabe smiled and said “Oh yeah, Castiel here has something to ask you.”

Castiel hesitated a moment before saying, “I am meeting your brother tomorrow and would like to bring a gift. Do you have any recommendations?”

Sam looked at Castiel then at Gabe. “Is this an alpha/omega thing I don’t understand? Does the gift have any significance beyond just being a nice thing to do?”

“Not everything has to do with their subgender, you idjit.” Bobby told him.

Gabe laughed but Castiel was just quiet as usual.

Sam thought about it for a moment. Finally he said “Pie. Get him a piece of apple pie and he will be your friend for life.”

Castiel lit up at that. Gabe slapped him on the shoulder and said “I think Cassie here is looking for more than friendship,” and he gave Sam a huge wink.

Sam made a face but said “Seriously, Dean loves pie. Any type but apple is his favorite.”

“Thank you.” Castiel said before turning to leave. Gabe hurried to follow him, waving at Sam and Bobby over his shoulder.

Jess still had the rental car so Bobby drove Sam to the roadhouse to pick up the impala. He opened the trunk and saw Dean’s duffle bag. When he opened it he was sad to discover he had been right about Dean’s need to do laundry.

He called Jess and they decided to meet up for dinner before Sam spent a couple hours at the laundromat. Instead of a diner they found a nice restaurant. Over their dinner Sam asked Jess about her day and she told him all the interesting things she had seen while sightseeing. 

They were just waiting on their desserts when Jess asked, "How long are you going to be at the laundromat?"

Sam thought about it, "A couple hours at least." He checked his watch and saw that it was already after 7.

Jess nodded then said "Sam, I found a fairly cheap flight to get me back to school tomorrow and I think I'm going to book it."

Sam was shocked. "What time is it?" He asked.

"It is in the evening, around 8 pm I think." She smiled and held his hand. "I don't want to go but my professors aren't giving me anymore extensions and I need to get back. Plus I think you and your brother need to spend some time alone together. I'll be waiting for you at home."

Sam smiled, so full of love for her. He knew that this had been tough on her, but with little warning she had left everything behind to support him. Now that things were looking up, she had to take care of her own stuff. 

"Ok," he said, then a thought occurred to him. "You will still be around to see Dean and Castiel's first meeting tomorrow, right?"

Jess nodded and said "I'm kinda excited. I've never gotten to see alpha/omega courting before."

Sam smiled and listened as she talked excitedly about case studies and stories of courting she had heard.

When they finished Sam took the impala to the laundromat and Jess headed back to their hotel to pack.

He put Dean's laundry in. It was a single load and Sam realized that he had packed more clothes to visit his brother than Dean even owned. 

After turning the machine one Sam was sad to discover that he had forgotten to bring a book. Luckily for him there was a shelf of random novels that people had left behind. Sam picked one up, some John Grisham novel, and sat down. It reminded him of his childhood. Sitting and reading or doing homework while Dean did their laundry. He smiled and settled into his book.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean meet for the first time!

Sam was woken up the next morning to his phone ringing. Jess groaned beside him as he answered it. "Hello?"

"Sam, get your ass up." Bobby's gruff voice came through.

"Bobby? What time is it?" Sam asked as he squinted at the alarm clock by the bed.

"Just after nine." Bobby said then his voice got quieter. "You gave permission for Castiel to meet Dean today but we never discussed the time. Now Dean is in a panic that he won't be ready. I got here about half an hour ago but I can't calm him down. Get your ass over here before he works himself back to a feral state."

Sam was already up and pulling on clothes as Bobby spoke. "I'll be there in five. Can you contact Gabriel and get a time for Castiel to get here? Having that information might help."

"Will do," and Bobby hung up.

Jess was sitting up but had made no move towards her clothes as she watched Sam sleepily. Sam smiled at her and leaned down to give her a kiss. "I have to go to the hospital. I'll see you there?"

She nodded and Sam left.

He pulled into the hospital parking lot a few minutes later. He made it as far as the hospital doors before he turned around and got the duffle bag he had forgotten from the car. He walked the now familiar path to Deans room. He saw Meg and Gabriel hovering outside the room. They didn't look worried so Sam said hi and just walked past them.

He walked in to see Dean pacing, still in his dressing gown. Bobby was sitting calmly in a chair. He was holding a book but Sam noticed that he was watching Dean, not reading. Dean stopped when he saw Sam and a smile lit up his face. "Hey Sammy."

Sam smiled and rolled his eyes. "Hey Dean." He held out the duffle bag. "I brought you some clean clothes."

Dean excitedly grabbed the bag from him and pulled it open. He seemed delighted to see that the clothes had been washed. "Thanks Sam," he said while giving him a big hug.

Sam pushed him away playfully. "Alright, alright. Go clean up. You stink."

Dean laughed and strode into the small attached bathroom. As soon as the shower started Bobby lay down his book and Gabe came in.

Sam saw Gabe sniff the air then wrinkle his nose. "Could we get some air freshener in here?" Sam asked. "I'm a nose-blind beta and even I can smell Dean's anxiety."

Gabe laughed and said "yeah, we have some unscented air fresheners around somewhere. I will see if I can track some down." He went over and sat in the other guest chair.

“So what time is Castiel getting here?” Sam asked Gabe.

“Around 11. He wanted to come earlier but I recommended that he give Dean some time to get ready this morning.” Gabe told him.

“Good call,” Bobby said “That boy was working himself into a panic when I got here.”

The three of them sat and chatted while Dean took his shower. Sam made sure to text Jess that Castiel was coming at 11. She texted back that she was already on her way. She had just stopped to grab some breakfast.

Dean was still in the bathroom when she got there. At least the shower was off. Jess handed Sam a breakfast sandwich and offered one to both Bobby and Gabe. Gabe declined but Bobby grabbed one.

"Has Dean eaten anything?" Jess asked. Bobby shook his head. Sam grabbed one of the remaining sandwiches and knocked on the bathroom door. Dean stuck his head out, looking annoyed. Sam silently handed him the sandwich. Dean took it with a quick smile and thanks before ducking back into the bathroom. Jess giggled.

Dean was in the bathroom for almost an hour. During that time Gabe left to check on another patient and came back with the unscented air freshener. Bobby, Sam and Jess passed the time talking. 

It was getting close to 11 when Dean came out. He looked pretty good, Sam thought. There was still some faint bruising but it wasn't that noticeable. Dean sat down on the bed and started talking animatedly to Bobby. Sam could tell he was nervous but he was hiding it well.

Out of the corner of his eye Sam saw Gabe check his phone. He smiled and typed something out before standing. Sam figured the text was from Castiel. As Gabe started to leave the room, Sam had a sudden thought and hurried to follow him out.

"Hey Gabe, I'm still learning about all this alpha/omega stuff." He hesitated a moment then asked his question. "Is there anything I'm supposed to do during this meeting? I mean, I had to give permission for it to happen. Is anything else expected from me?"

Gabe smiled and shook his head. "All you have to do is introduce them." He turned away then paused and turned back. "You are a good brother," he said.

Sam opened his mouth to protest but Gabe cut him off. "No, really. When you first got here you knew almost nothing about omegas but you have put in an effort to learn to help your brother. That's something."

Sam made a face. "I should have learned this stuff years ago. I should have kept in touch."

Gabe reached up to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up. From everything I've heard since meeting you it sounds like Dean kept most of this from you. Maybe he didn't want to worry you, maybe he didn't even think to mention it. Plus it sounds like you had your own stuff going on."

Sam grimaced but Gabe continued, "look, you can't change the past. I think all of us wish we could, particularly our angsty teen years. Instead of spending your time stressing about what you coulda/shoulda done, focus on what you can do. And as far as I can see, that is what you have been doing. That makes you a good brother in my mind."

Sam gave a small smile of thanks. Gabe gave his shoulder a squeeze before he turned and walked down the hall. Sam headed back into Dean's room.

It was about a half hour later when Gabe gave a brief knock on the door and came in leading Castiel. Dean had been laughing at something Bobby had said, but his laugh died off as he noticed Gabe and Castiel. Dean stared at Castiel who stared back silently. Sam looked between the two of them, surprised by the intensity of their stares. He stood up and introduced them. "Dean, this is Castiel Novak. Castiel, this is my brother Dean Winchester." He then sat back down to see what would happen.

Castiel took another step forward then said "Hello Dean," gravely, in a surprisingly deep voice.  
Dean smiled but responded "Hello Castiel," with equal solemnity. They both fell silent and want back to the staring thing. 

This silent eye sex went on for several minutes. Sam looked around. Jess was watching what was happening with the same expression she had watching romcoms. Bobby looked mildly amused. Gabe had a huge grin on his face.

After a few minutes Sam was starting to feel awkward and cleared his throat. Everyone looked his way, Dean with a glare. Sam noticed that Castiel was holding something that looked like a bakery box. "What have you got there?" He asked nodding at the box.

Castiel looked down at the box like he had forgotten he was holding it. He held it out towards Dean and said, "I brought you a pie." He looked down again. "It's apple."

Dean got a look of awe on his face. He looked from the pie box to Castiel and back again. “You brought me pie?” he asked, his voice got oddly quiet and, to Sam’s surprise, almost shy. “I love pie.”

Castiel smiled slightly and handed Dean the pie. Dean opened the box slowly and reverently. From what could Sam could see it was a normal looking and smelling apple pie but Dean was looking at it like it was precious. Sam saw an unused fork sitting on Dean’s forgotten breakfast tray and handed it to Dean.

Dean gave him a quick thanks before turning to his pie. He slowly took a forkful from the middle of the pie. After taking a bite, he let out a nearly pornographic moan. Sam and Bobby just exchanged a look of exasperation, they were used to Dean’s excessive love of food. Jess looked embarrassed. Gabe was nearly vibrating with excitement. Castiel’s eyes went dark, he took a step closer to Dean and made a sound that was a cross between a purr and a growl. Dean immediately responded by purring. Castiel took another step forward.

Sam felt like he was in a slow motion porn movie. Dean and Castiel seemed to have forgotten they had an audience and Sam was wondering if they should just leave. Looking around he was pretty sure Jess and Bobby were thinking the same thing, but they might have to drag Gabe with them. He was watching with such intensity, it bordered on creepy.

Sam had just decided he was prepared to carry Gabe out if he needed to, when Bobby spoke up. "So I guess this meeting is going well," he said wryly. 

Dean blushed, looked down and silently took another bite of his pie. Castiel did not take his eyes off of Dean as he smiled and took a step back.

"Ah man," whined Gabe. Sam looked over to see him pouting. "Why'd you stop them? It was just getting good."

"Those are our brothers you're talking about," Sam reminded him. "I'd rather not see what was coming next."

Gabe shrugged.

Everyone sat quietly for a while. Sam wasn't sure what should happen next. Dean was halfway through his pie when Castiel spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Dean, if you would be willing, I would like to court you."

Sam was struck by the formality of it all as he watched his brother say yes to Castiel. Dean was one of the most informal guys Sam had ever met so he knew that this was serious. He caught Dean's eyes and gave him a small thumbs up. Dean rolled his eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone stayed for another hour or so before Castiel had to leave for work. He and Dean shared another long stare before he left. Gabe followed Castiel out. 

Not long after Jess decided to go say her goodbyes to Meg. Sam knew that they had gotten along really well and Jess was going to get her contact info so they could stay in touch.

Once she left Bobby turned to Dean. "So, that went well."

Dean eyed up Bobby suspiciously, but apparently seeing that Bobby was being serious he smiled and relaxed. "Yeah, he seems like a good guy. Plus he brought me pie," he said gesturing to the empty pie plate. 

Bobby chuckled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. 

They chatted a bit longer before Jess stuck her head back in to say goodbye. Dean looked sad that she was leaving but when she explained that it was for school he gave a hug and wished her a good flight. 

Sam walked her out to her rental. Sam gave her a hug and a kiss. He was reluctant to let her go. To postpone their goodbye Sam said "I'll keep you updated on what's happening here. I'll call every night."

She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows. "every night?" She asked. "You do that and I will never get any studying done. Every third day."

"Every second and you have a deal," Sam countered.

"Deal,"She said before giving him another kiss. "Now I have to go if I am going to make my flight."

He let her slip from his arms and took a step back so she could get into the car. He watched her drive away then slowly walked back into the hospital.

When he got back to the room he saw Dean pouting on his bed while Bobby calmly sat reading. No one said anything so finally Sam asked, "what's going on here?"

Bobby didn't even look up from his book as he replied. "Princess over there is sulking cause I told him I am heading home tomorrow."

Dean protested but Sam and Bobby ignored him. "You're headed home?"

"Yeah, the junkyard doesn't run itself." 

Sam understood, then Bobby added "Plus I am going to put a bit more of my own energy into finding out where that Dad of yours has gone."

Both Sam and Dean stared at him. Bobby continued darkly, "You both know I don't talk to John anymore but it seems like he's fallen off the face of the earth." He gave dean an almost smile then "don't worry i have contacts in both high and low places. I'll find him."

"Thanks Bobby," dean said sincerely.

"I'll drop by before heading outta town," he told Dean as he got up. 

Sam said a quick goodbye to his brother before following Bobby out. 

Sam waited till they were a little way down the hall before asking, "So how'd you think that meeting went?"

Bobby thought for a moment then said, "I think it was good. The way they acted, they obviously liked each other's scent. That's good. They are at least biologically compatible." He paused then continued, "I'm actually impressed by Castiel's restraint."

"His restraint?" Sam echoed, puzzled.

Bobby nodded, "now, I'm no expert but from everything I've read, a reaction as strong as Castiel and Dean had to each other should have put them into a mating frenzy." Seeing Sam's look of confusion and disgust, Bobby smiled. 

"But Castiel stopped himself. Even though Dean was acting all cute and purring he was still able to stop and he even asked Dean's permission to court him."

"I noticed how formal both his question and Dean's answer were." Sam commented, "I figured it's one of those alpha/omega things I am learning about."

Bobby laughed. "Yeah, it's like an engagement. Traditionally courting would be done by proxy."

"Proxy?" Sam interrupted.

"Yeah, to prevent a mating frenzy. That token I took Dean before they met could be considered a courtship gift. So could the pie." He looked like he was going to say more but then he stopped again. "I'll send you a couple books once I get home."

They had made it to their cars so Sam gave Bobby a brief hug and said "Thanks, Bobby. Not just for the books. Thanks for being here for Dean and I."

"Yeah, yeah, get off me you idjit." Bobby said gruffly.

Sam smiled and let Bobby go.

"I'll see you tomorrow."Sam said, turning away.

He got into the impala and headed back to his hotel. Walking into the empty hotel room alone Sam realized that he couldn't afford to stay there for however long Dean would be in the hospital. He wondered if he could talk to Gabe or Bobby about a cheaper place to stay.

Sam slept in the next day. When he checked his phone for the time he saw that he had a text from Jess saying that she had made it home safe. He sent her one back telling her to have a good day and that he loved her. 

After having a shower Sam packed up all his stuff and checked out of the hotel. He threw his bag into the impala and made a mental note to head back to the laundromat that evening and do some of his own laundry.

He made a quick stop to pick up some breakfast before heading into the hospital. He nodded at the doctors and nurses he recognized on his walk to Deans room.

He saw Meg outside Dean's room and stopped to chat for a bit. Sam liked Meg. She seemed cold but she had a sharp, dry wit and from what he had seen and Jess had said, she was a good nurse.

Finally he entered Dean's room. Dean was sitting on his bed, watching some old tv show rerun on a tv. On the table next to him was a couple empty plates. Bobby was sitting in a chair watching the tv.

"Hey" Sam said in greeting as he walked in.

"Oh hi Sam," Dean said looking away from the tv. He had a huge smile on his face. " Do you see the tv Cas brought me? He knows I can't leave yet so he brought something for me to watch."

"Cas?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, you know, Castiel." Dean was still beaming. "He came by this morning with breakfast and this tv and DVD player. I helped him set it up."

"So what are you watching?" Sam asked gesturing to the tv.

Dean sounded like a big kid as he told Sam. "It's knight rider! Gabe found it for me. It's awesome! There's a talking car."

Sam laughed. That sounded like Dean's kind of show.

They watched until the end of the episode then Dean turned it off.

"Well boys, I have gotta get going," Bobby said as he stood up. 

Dean also stood up and gave Bobby a long hug. Sam heard him say "Thanks, Bobby. For everything."

Bobby stepped back and cleared his throat. "Alright, I'll keep in touch." Looking at Dean he added. "If you and that alpha of yours decided to officially mate, give me a call. I will be here for the ceremony."

Dean blushed slightly and nodded.

Sam followed Bobby out. They didn't say anything until they reached Bobby's car. Bobby turned to him. "You still staying in that over priced hotel?"

"No, I checked out this morning. I'm going to look for a cheap motel or something," Sam told him.

"Good. When you're done here head to the roadhouse. Ellen's got a spare room for ya now that I'm gone. And it's free"

"You sure, Bobby?" Sam asked. He didn't want to impose on anyone.

"Ellen told me herself. Her and Jo just want to help." 

Sam was going to argue but Bobby gave him a look and he shut up. He gave Bobby a hug and Bobby got into his car and drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is having a good week. I just spent most of this day (Wednesday) thinking it was Friday. Needless to say I have been disappointed.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam's life fell into a pattern. Every morning he would get up and go for a run before having a shower and finding breakfast. Sometimes he would sit in a diner for the meal and other times he would get it to go. Either way he was normally at the hospital by 10, 10:30 at the latest.

He and Dean would spend hours together, sometimes getting caught up with each other's lives, or more like getting caught up on Sam's life. Other times they would watch movies together. At some point Gabe would stop by and check how they were doing.

Sam would leave around dinnertime. At first he felt bad leaving Dean alone but then one day when he was debating whether to stay longer, Meg took him aside and told him that Castiel came by every evening after his shift and Sam needed to get his cockblocking self out of the way. When Sam told Jess about it that night she howled with laughter.

He normally ate his dinner at the roadhouse, chatting with Ellen and Jo. Then he would settle into his room and catch up on assignments and papers sent by his professors. They were all very supportive and one had even suggested he focus a paper on the laws specific to alphas and omegas. Bobby, Gabe, and Castiel became invaluable in researching the paper; Bobby with his vast library for references and Gabe and Castiel for their first hand knowledge, both professionally and personally. Even Dean, Ellen and Jo helped. They might not know the laws specifically but they could talk about how the laws affected them or what they thought about them.

Sam had already known he was going to be a lawyer but working on the paper and talking to everyone made him realize he wanted to work in alpha/omega law. When he would talk to Jess every few nights he would excitedly tell her all the things he was learning or rant about injustices he hadn't known existed. 

The main thing he learned over that week and a half was how much he had missed both Dean and Bobby. He had cut them out of his life the night he had run away to college because he hadn't wanted any reminders of his old life or anyone to talk him out of it. But now that he was older, wiser and less full of teenage know-it-all, he realized that he hadn't needed to cut them out. Dean and Bobby had always supported him. And even though he had cut them off they had still kept track of him while keeping John away. If he could go back in time he would give himself a talking to, but as Gabe said, he can't change the past so he was just going to have to do better at keeping in touch.

Dean had only one set back and it was really no one's fault. They had come up with a plan for Deans reintroduction to society; he was going to stay at the roadhouse with Sam and work there under the watchful eyes of Ellen and Jo. Gabe had also lined up a therapist and they were just waiting for her to come back from vacation for Dean to start. None of these things cause the set back. Neither did Dean's growing relationship with Castiel, or Cas as Dean called him. Their relationship was going so well, it was almost sickeningly cute.

No the set back was due to a feral alpha. The day before Dean was to be released, a feral alpha was admitted to the hospital and Dean's ward was put in a form of lockdown. In fact all unmated omegas were sent to other hospitals or were given guards outside their doors. Gabe wasn't even able to do his rounds. Sam was still able to visit but he had to be sprayed with scent blockers after visiting Dean so that he wouldn't carry his scent through the hospital.

Finally after a few days the alpha, who was unlikely to come out of it like Dean had, was transferred to another hospital that was better equipped to handle feral alphas. 

It wasn't a huge set back but Dean was in a horrible mood the whole time he was in lockdown. Castiel wasn't able to visit in case it sent the other alpha into a rage. Sam had brought him a cell phone so Cas and Dean were able to at least talk but over those days they couldn't meet Sam saw both of their moods deteriorate. Cas was harder to spot because Sam didn't know him very well but he seemed even quieter and glared a lot. Dean was easier to read. He full on pouted. 

Pie didn't even make him feel better. Sam wasn't sure who was happier when Dean's quarantine ended, Sam or Dean. 

As soon as Dean and Cas were reunited they were in each other's arms. Luckily for Sam's sake there was nothing sexual to it. Instead it was sweet. They scented each other and Cas kept whispering things into Dean's ear. They didn't even let each other go when Cas led Dean back to his hospital bed. Dean curled up in Cas' arms and fell asleep, purring contentedly. Cas didn't sleep, choosing to watch Dean with a look of adoration.

"Aww, aren't they so cute?" Gage said. The tone was joking but Sam could hear the sincerity behind it.

"They really are," he replied as they backed into the hallway to talk.

"You all ready for Dean to be released tomorrow?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah, the room isn't very big but it already had a queen sized bed in it. Dean and I will share. There is even a place to set up the tv."

"And you are doing alright with your school stuff? Don't need to go back right away? Jess is doing ok?" 

That was what Sam liked about Gabe. He was funny and a bit of a trickster but he also genuinely seemed to care. And not just about Dean, his patient, but Sam too.

"I am fine for now. I have been able to submit all my papers and assignments electronically and the professors have been really accommodating. One even has been sending me video of their lectures. I will have to go back to Stanford in about two weeks for a week or so. I have exams. Then my semester is done. I wasn't planning on taking any summer courses so I will be able to come back for a couple months if needed."

"What about Jess?"

"She does have some courses over the summer but she will get a couple weeks between semesters. We will see what happens over the next week or so."

Gabe smiled knowingly. Everyone knew by now that Dean and Cas would be mating soon. The only reason they hadn't already was that Castiel wanted to wait until Dean was doing better. Dean was impulsive as always and would have mated Cas that first day, he had told Sam, but he thought it was cute that alpha wanted to wait and court him. 

Castiel had taken Sam aside and told him that his plan was to wait until after Sam was done his exams. Castiel's hope was to have the mating ceremony with Sam, Jess, Booby and Gabe in attendance. Sam had told Jess that night and she was already so excited to be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay it's Friday!! And not fake Friday like Wednesday was.  
> I hope you all have a lovely weekend.


	10. Chapter 10

The days that followed Deans release were a bit of a relearning curve for Sam. He had shared beds with Dean their whole childhood but it had been a few years and they had both been smaller. Some small arguments were had over which side of the bed they took and Dean would fall into old habits for bossing Sam around like Sam was his pup. But they were quickly resolved with no hard feelings. Only once or twice did it actually get tense. Then Castiel would step in and act as a mediator. Sam had expected that Cas would just take Dean's side but Cas was always fair and quick to correct Dean when he was being a brat. 

Dean was also nervous being back in the real world. He hid it with bravado but Sam knew he was worried about being overwhelmed and going feral again. Those nerves did not last long. Ellen and Jo were particularly good for Dean there. They had him bar-tending and would step in if Dean was looking the least bit overwhelmed with a sarcastic but ultimately kind comment. 

Dean also started therapy. He resisted at first telling Sam there was nothing wrong with his head. Sam had reassured him that no one thought that. In the end it was actually Gabe, not Castiel, that convinced Dean to go. Sam wasn't sure what he said and didn't ask.

The first couple sessions were rough for Dean. He would come back to the roadhouse, go straight to their room and huddle in the bed, in the nest of blankets he would make himself. Sam would spend time there too, cuddling Dean and not asking questions. Sam waited for another session to go by then asked Dean if he wanted a different therapist. Dean had been subdued but otherwise fine. He had looked at Sam, seemed to think a moment, then said "nah, Tess is cool," and they just left it at that.

Bobby made it down to see them the first weekend after Dean go out of the hospital. He brought down some books for Sam to read as well the research he had mentioned to Gabe the first time they had met. Gabe had taken it home to read and by the next day was discussing it with Bobby. He told Sam after Bobby left that it could open up some new lines of research into alphas and omegas and maybe, eventually, they would be able to help more feral come back like Dean had.

Bobby also took Sam and Cas aside to let them know how his search for John was going. He hadn't heard from him yet but one of his contacts said they had run into John a week or so before and had passed on the message that Bobby was looking for him and it had to do with his sons. 

"Where was that?" Asked Sam.

"A bar in Minnesota, Windom or some place like that."

"And it's been at least a week since dad got the message?" Sam asked  
Bobby nodded. 

Sam had been trying to stay calm but he was so mad at their dad. The bastard had abandoned Dean as soon as Dean was no longer 'useful' to him. He rubbed a hand through his hair in frustration and started to pace.

Bobby and Castiel watched him. "I could put some people on it and bring him here if you wanted." Bobby offered but the tone of his voice conveyed that it was a bad idea.

"No," Sam said quickly, "I still think it is best if he stays far away from Dean." He turned to Cas. "Is there anything you can do, legally, I mean, to keep him away? Without having to get Dean directly involved?"

Castiel thought a moment but said "he could be arrested for omega neglect. If fact, you could apply for a restraining order against him on Deans behalf." Sam nodded but Castiel added. "I would not recommend going behind Dean’s back on this. I feel he would not take it well. I believe it would be better to leave things as they are and only step in if John does come to visit. Then actions can be taken based on how he acts, not how we think he might act."

Bobby and Sam nodded. Sam was getting the idea Cas might understand his brother more than Sam thought. Dean would be furious if they went behind his back.

Before Bobby left Dean did ask about their dad. Bobby just told him that someone had passed a message to John to call Bobby and he was still waiting. Dean looked sad to hear it but also understanding. They hugged and Bobby left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go!   
> Can anyone guess the significance of where John was seen?


	11. Chapter 11

Sam looked around the room that had been his home for the last few weeks. All his stuff was packed away, ready for him to fly back to Stanford and Jess. He sat down on the bed and sighed.

He had very mixed feelings about going back. He was excited to see Jess and nervous about his exams, but he also felt a lot of guilt about leaving Dean behind. This time it would only be for a week but he still had two more years of law school ahead of him at Stanford. He had tried to talk to Jess, Dean, and even Gabe about it but they didn't seem to understand what he was trying to say. Dean and Gabe just made lots of jokes and Jess was sure it was just stress. Finally he had talked to Bobby, who in true Bobby fashion called him an idjit and told him the guilt was normal but he was still going to finish school. 

In fact the person who had been most understanding had been Castiel. He had quietly listened to all of Sam's worry and guilt and took them apart one by one. In the end he reminded Sam that it was fine to feel bad about leaving given that his brother had been in a feral state not long ago, but that did not mean he should put his life on hold. Cas even said the week away for exams could be good for the brothers, a chance to see how keeping in touch long distance would work for them.

Sam thought back on that conversation and took a deep breath. He gathered up his bags and headed out of the room. When he got to the main bar area of the roadhouse he set his bags down long enough to give Ellen, Jo and Gabe hugs goodbye. Ellen whispered that she would watch out for Dean and Sam whispered back his thanks. Jo gave him a punch to the shoulder, which actually hurt, and said "see you soon." Gabe was uncharacteristically quiet. He followed Sam out to the car where Dean and Castiel were waiting. 

Sam loaded his bags into the impala's trunk and went to open the back door. Castiel silently blocked him and directed him to the front seat, getting in the back himself. Dean slid into the driver's seat.

"Well, this is it," Gabe said suddenly.

Sam smiled at him, "come on Gabe. You are making it sound like I'll never be back. I will see you in a week, two tops."

Gabe gave a nod, a wave and went back into the roadhouse.

Sam was puzzled but Cas said simply "he likes you. You are now considered family."

Sam was sure there was more to that but he let it go.

The drive to the airport didn't take very long. Dean filled the car with his music, singing along at the top of his voice. He seemed like he didn't have a care in the world but Sam could see how tight he was gripping the steering wheel.

They pulled into the airport and found parking near departures. Sam got his bags out of the trunk then stood awkwardly looking at his brother, suddenly not sure what to say. They stared at each other then Dean pulled him in for a tight hug. "Stay safe, Sammy."

"You too Dean." He replied. Then he added "I'll call as soon as I land." 

Dean nodded and let him go.

Castiel stepped forward and also gave Sam a hug. He didn't say anything. But Sam did. He whispered something he had been meaning to say for a while. "Thank you for calling me that day."

Castiel nodded and they stepped apart. Sam picked up his bags from where he had dropped them while hugging Dean. Then he watched Dean climb back into the impala, this time with Cas at his side. Sam waved goodbye and headed into the airport. 

He was content knowing he would see them soon. He had his family back.

The end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it. I do plan to come back to this world sometime but for now...  
> As some of you guessed the Windom hint was a reference to John's other family.  
> I have really enjoyed this journey with you and thanks for all your support.


End file.
